1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an arrangement of a rhythmic apparatus with a vehicle sound apparatus, particularly used in the production of sound effects and able to substantially reduce or even eliminate the stress of individuals, mainly when they are inside automotive vehicles for long periods. This invention is directed to a rhythmic accompaniment method through the utilization of an electronic transducer, which composes the apparatus. The technical sector to which this invention is directed is that of electronics applied to psychology.
The Patent Application PI 0001078-2 of 04.06.2000 and the Addition Certificates, C1 0001078-2 of 10.27.2000 and C2 0001078-2 of 12.08.2000 of the same applicant to which priority is hereby claimed, describe a rhythmic apparatus and respective method.
2. Description of the State of the Art
Existing known means to combat stress are based on the intake of natural or allopathic medicine and other non natural means which the individual develops through other addictions, such as the excessive consumption of cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, or even the unnecessary intake of colas, candies and sugars in general, in order to aid in healing the anxiety produced by stress.
Another form of combating stress is the practice of physical exercise. However, it is not always possible to practice physical exercise, because physical exercise demands an appropriate place for practice.
Studies on stress show it's importance, where it is observed that stress reaches thousands of people and is now one of the greatest causes for low quality of life. Contemporary society faces very serious problems, by virtue of stresses, from pressures we suffer daily, from fear we feel, and finally from difficulties we try to overcome and, which most of times, we cannot.
These problems will result in what we call stress or yet stress syndrome. Stress is a physiologic reaction, which occurs when we need to face a situation which irritates us, scares us, excites us, wears us out, confounds us, or even makes us immensely happy. The answer to so much stress is that the changes suffered by our society were faster than the evolution of the human body itself. Never were the expectations and stresses so great. We will see the damage stress causes in traffic.
It is known that stress interferes in every person in different ways. We can mention some stress symptoms, as for example discouragement, lack of motivation, sleep disturbances, low self-esteem, mental tiredness, depression, lack of vitality, and, chiefly, anxiety. Stress occurs as a result of this anxiety, which, as we have seen, causes serious damage to organisms. One great stress generator is the social factor, which generates traffic in large cities. It is also within traffic that the feared “Panic Syndrome in Jammed Traffic” occurs, in which the person experiences incontrollable situations.
The vehicle is an instrument of work, hobby, etc; it gives status, but it is one of the places where a person is submitted to several pressures which will lead him/her to have the symptoms described above.
When we enter a vehicle, oftentimes, we have to wait, sitting in a driver or passenger seat, not able to get up to walk for a while, not able to park the car and get out, not able to do our basic necessities, not able to use the restroom, not able to breathe pure air because, most of the time, we are in a place with thousands of other vehicles with their motors on, which pollute the air in the vicinity of the vehicle. Sometimes, we are late and then we start to be stressed. In addition to the sum of problems we already have before entering the vehicle, and which are brooding in our minds, by the time we are inside a car, a traffic jam will cause even more stress. Sometimes, we have to bear the presence of other passengers who may not share our ideas and who may cause additional stress.
Consider an analogy of a stressed person in another situation, for instance at home, and what that stressed person does to dissipate the stress. We go to the kitchen to eat something, we go to the toilet, we walk in the yard, we take a shower/bath, we go to a son's bedroom to chat, we lay down on a sofa or bed to rest, we go to the living room to watch TV, to hear a song, to play with the dog, to talk to a spouse or significant relation, etc.
Then we can see that we consider vehicles to be an extension of our home, a symbol of status, a means which takes us to new routes, a work tool or a freedom sensation, but that in vehicles we do not have the means as we do in our homes that we need to dissipate the stress. By using the method and rhythmic apparatus of the present invention, we can significantly reduce the stress level, and we can even eliminate it in many cases, inside automotive vehicles.
Also some persons in automotive vehicles do not stress but are hyperactive with excessive energy (mainly young people or children). Then, for those people who have the natural need to keep moving in order to dissipate this excessive energy, we also recommend the use of the present invention.
In current literature, we can find work and scientific research aimed at minimizing stressing agents and, thus, reducing stress effects on people. These sources generally address self-help, reflection, interpersonal relations, aromatherapy, chromo therapy, psychotherapy, vacations, hobbies, massages, vibration medicine, floral therapy, exercise, relaxing, nutrition, bio-molecular medicine, acupuncture, sex, yoga, neuron-linguistic programming, medicines, etc. However, such options are directed to general situations and are not specific, as it is the case of social contingency stress, vehicle traffic, one of the greatest disturbances of the modern society faced daily by thousands of people.
Unfortunately, the trend is that traffic is worsening continuously, at alarming proportions. Statistical research presents stress as responsible for a major part of accidents that occur in cities and roads around the world (directly or indirectly).
The stress caused by great traffic jams in roads and cities trends to reduce the good humour of any person. The consequences are severe and the number of automobile accidents continues to increase, as well as traffic quarrels between stressed drivers that often result in serious bodily injury. Health has never preoccupied us as much it does today.